FDNY Line of Duty Death
February 11, 1930 - LODD
Fireman John J. Harvey I
Fireboat 86
FDNY. Manhattan, New York
The 526-foot-long freighter, "S.S. Muenchen," had a cargo of nitrate of potash, shellac and news print, and was racked by a series of violent explosions, one of which blew the pilot house off the fireboat "Willet," designated as Engine 86. Fireman Harvey, who was the pilot of the boat, was thrown into the river by the blast and drowned. Several other firefighters were also knocked into the water. More than 50 firefighters were overcome and injured while battling the five-alarm blaze. Later, a new fireboat would be named in honor of Fireman Harvey.
RIP. Never forget.
Fireboat John J. Harvey
HISTORY AFLOAT!
Fireboat John J. Harvey, launched in Brooklyn in 1931, was named for FDNY pilot John J. Harvey. Firefighter Harvey was killed in the line of duty fighting a ship fire. Harvey was a historic first; the first fireboat powered by internal combustion engines and the first that could pump and maneuver simultaneously. She was the largest, fastest fire fighting machine of her time, capable of pumping 18,000 gallons per minute, roughly the equivalent of 20 terrestrial fire trucks. The innovations of her design influenced all subsequent fireboats.
Harvey served and protected NY Harbor for over 6 decades, assisting during such notable fires as the Cunard Line pier fire in 1932, the burning of Normandie in 1942, and the potentially disastrous fire on ammunition ship El Estero during World War II. Decommissioned in 1994, Harvey was saved from the scrap yard by a dedicated group of volunteers and restored as an operational museum and education center, offering free public trips in New York Harbor, and attending notable maritime festivals in Waterford and Oyster Bay in NY, and Mystic and New London in CT.
On September 11 2001, John J. Harvey was recalled to service by the FDNY and reactivated as Marine Company 2. Alongside the FDNY fireboats Fire Fighter and John D. McKean she pumped water for 80 hours until water mains in lower Manhattan were restored to service. Harvey's action that week was the subject of countless print and video news articles as well as a 2002 Maira Kalman book Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey.
The fireboat is moored at Pier 66 Maritime, at 26th St. and the Hudson River alongside the Frying Pan restaurant and the lightship Frying Pan
John J Harvey
Wikipedia
John J. Harvey is a fireboat formerly of the New York City Fire Department in New York City, famed for returning to service following the September 11, 2001 attacks. She is among the most powerful fireboats ever built, capable of pumping up to 18,000 gallons of water a minute.
Launched in 1931, John J. Harvey had a distinguished career in the FDNY until her retirement in 1994. She was named for marine fireman John J. Harvey, killed when a ship exploded during a fire. Among the marine fires at which she assisted were the Cunard Line pier fire in 1932, the burning of Normandie in 1942, the ammunition ship El Estero in 1943, and the collision of the oil tankers Alva Cape and Texaco Massachusetts in 1966. Her official designation at the end of her career was Marine 2.
John J. Harvey was sold, at auction, in 1999, to a private consortium of marine preservationists determined to prevent her from being scrapped. In June 2000 she was added to the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places. Her current owners have thoroughly restored her, and host frequent free trips on the river. She is currently moored at North River Pier 66, located at 12th Avenue and 26th Street on the Hudson River.
In 2018, she was repainted at the Caddell Dry Dock, Staten Island, in a red and white dazzle pattern as part of an art project by Tauba Auerbach, in commemoration of the dazzle camouflage used on World War I ships.[5]
September 11, 2001
John J. Harvey had an unexpected encore. Shortly after the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, the boat's owners asked FDNY officials for permission to assist in maritime evacuations from Ground Zero. Meanwhile, firefighters had determined that the vast scale of destruction had damaged many fire mains, depriving fire crews of water. Officials radioed John J. Harvey, asking if her pumps still worked. Responding that they did, she was told to drop off her passengers as soon as possible and return to the disaster site, reactivating her official designation Marine 2. Alongside two other FDNY fireboats, John D. McKean and Fire Fighter, she pumped water at the site for 80 hours, until water mains were restored. The National Trust for Historic Preservation gave John J. Harvey a special National Preservation Award to recognize this incident. John J. Harvey's story was the subject of a 2002 children's book.
John J. Harvey - Wikipedia
"John J. Harvey"
(1931-1999)
130' x 28' x 9'. 18,000 gpm.
Built by Todd Shipyards, Brooklyn, NY.
The first gasoline-electric powered fireboat
with 5 gasoline motors, 4 fire pumps, twin screws
Eight deck pipes
"Engine 57"
"Engine 86"
"Marine 2"
NOTE: The Harvey was named after the pilot of the Willett
who was killed during the SS Muenchen fire in February 1930.
(1931-1999)
130' x 28' x 9'. 18,000 gpm.
Built by Todd Shipyards, Brooklyn, NY.
The first gasoline-electric powered fireboat
with 5 gasoline motors, 4 fire pumps, twin screws
Eight deck pipes
"Engine 57"
"Engine 86"
"Marine 2"
NOTE: The Harvey was named after the pilot of the Willett
who was killed during the SS Muenchen fire in February 1930.
